First Night Portsmouth Ring in the New Year with family, friends and fun

By Michelle Kingston

mkingston@fosters.com

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Click image to enlarge

T.J. Wheeler and Company return to First Night Portsmouth with their blue, R&B and jazz.

PORTSMOUTH — Market Square is the new Times Square for New Year’s Eve.

Well, sort of.

Cancel your trip to the Big Apple to forgo long lines and pushy people shoving on the sidewalks. Drive over to Portsmouth instead for a family fun, alcohol-free night offering a wide array of events for, if you purchase your ticket early enough, just $20.

“It is a great night for people to get out around town,” said Barbara Massar, executive director for Pro Portsmouth, the nonprofit that organizes the event. “First Night offers families an alternative and that is why it was started in the first place.”

First Night began in Boston in 1976. Many surrounding towns adopted the idea thereafter.

“Ten years later, Portsmouth picked it up and at this point and time, we are just two remaining towns in the whole state that do it,” Massar said.

Heading into its 27th year, First Night will begin at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31 and end shortly after midnight. Visitors wearing the First Night Button, that they can purchase online, have all-access passes to every venue and each event involved with the evening’s festivities.

The button is your gateway to the ice sculptures, fireworks, street dancers, art activities, face painting, magic shows, storytelling, local singers, songwriters and bands, puppet shows and plays and, sorry, I’m out of breath, but the list goes on and on.

“Anyone who has this button is entitled to special deals with different restaurants, hotels and merchants,” Massar said, adding that the Show Us Our Button program, which began last year, helps bring people back to Portsmouth after the holidays. Bowl-O-Rama, Dos Amigos, Harbor’s Edge at The Sheraton Portsmouth and Sise Inn have discounted deals for button holders.

The button, available at proportsmouth.org, can also be purchased in local outlets, including the Flower Kiosk on Market Street, Hannaford’s on Islington Street and the Seacoast branches of People’s United Bank. There are special online discounted deals if you are purchasing more than one button, but they end on Christmas Day. One adult button until Dec. 26, is $15, from Dec. 27 to Dec. 30, $20, and on the day of the event they can be purchased for $25. Child buttons are just $2.

The buttons can be picked up in Market Square on the day of the event, Massar said.

“Although the actual performances don’t start until four in the afternoon, the town starts to take on a different vibe around noon,” Massar said. “The town really starts to bustle.”

She said it can be a lot of fun to bring the kids early in the afternoon to see the ice sculpture be constructed in front of North Church, a building she also mentioned that opens their doors on First Night, giving some people the opportunity to go inside for the first time.

“People have the opportunity at night to go in and out of historic buildings,” Massar said. “Many of our faith communities open their doors to us that night which is really nice. This is a chance to get in North Church, maybe for the first time, and see it. It is just magnificent.”

It may also be the first time celebrating the New Year without a glass of bubbly.

“Anywhere we are that night is a non-alcoholic venue,” Massar said. “That is not because we are prohibitionists or anything, but it is to give families and people wearing our button that night the assurance that when you go into that building, we are not going to be serving alcohol.

Massar hopes people do support other local businesses by eating at their restaurants or having a beverage, but did note that the First Night button does not give wearers access to the entire city, just the venues involved with Pro Portsmouth’s event.

“On top of everything else, we offer a wide variety of music. Some old friends. Some new friends,” she said. “It really is about the music.”

The event is very walkable, but for those who wish, there is also a shuttle that runs between venues that is free for button participants.

Massar is expecting to sell 3,000 to 4,000 buttons this year, but said close to 15,000 people come into town that night.

“What we provide is an opportunity to come into a great town on New Year’s Eve, enjoy lots of great music, take in things like the ice sculpture, the outdoor street dance, the fireworks and just have an amazing way of closing out a year and creating a new one,” she said.

The PHS Band will operate this year’s nonprofit food concession! All proceeds benefit the band’s annual fundraising efforts.

Caricatures by Bob Nilson

Fabulous First Night Face Painting

The performances ...

4:15-5:00, 5:15-6 p.m. — Abracadabra! Magic with Phil Smith

6:15-7 p.m. — Storytelling with Peter Sheridan

8-10:30 p.m. — Battle of the Bands!

Middle Street Baptist Hall

Summer in the Street heads indoors! These two groups have been a part of our Summer music series.

Both feature outstanding local singer songwriters ...

5-5:45, 6:15-7 pm. — Acheson Gown

The group is the fine blend of singer songwriter Elissa Margolin and guitarist Tom Acheson Brown. Together they create an acoustic tonic for the soul.

8:15-9, 9:30-10:15 p.m. — Old Saw. A blend of Blues, Jazz & Americana, Old Saw is the offspring of Nickie and Charlie Farr. What started as a solo project for Actress/Singer/Songwriter Nickie Fuller Farr in about 2004, turned into a band when her husband, drummer/guitarist Charlie Farr joined in! With dynamic vocals, gypsy-blues-guitar, and a percussive edge, Old Saw is sure to draw you into the story.

8:15-9, 9:30-10:15, 10:45-11:30 p.m. — T.J. Wheeler and Company. Blues, more blues, a bit of R & B and jazz ... and always a great time!

Seacoast Repertory Theatre

5-5:45, 6:15-7 p.m. — Michael Miclon

With everything from wacky characterizations and sight gags to, in fact, juggling and plenty of costumes, props and audience participation — Miclon’s performances provide “laugh till you cry” fun for the all ages.

“The Play’s the Thing!” New Hampshire Theatre Project artists Genevieve Aichele, CJ Lewis, Peter Motson and Kathleen Somssich invite you to join them in an evening of theater games, comedy improv and fun! It’s the new year — take a chance and try something completely different! (Recommended for ages 10 to adult).

PARKING

All streets downtown are open to vehicular traffic and parking, except for:

-- Pleasant Street from State Street to Market Square. Parking will be prohibited from 4 p.m. to midnight.

-- Church Street (next to the North Church)

-- Parrot Avenue (from Richards to Junkins- no entry from Rogers). Parking on this entire avenue will be closed from noon until 9 p.m.

The parking garage on Hanover Street will offer flat rate parking of $3 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the day of the event. This amount will be collected upon entry into the garage.

A free bus service provided by Student Transportation of America will run between each performance venue. The service will begin in Market Square.

*Please note the “No Parking” signs as posted — vehicles parking in posted areas will be towed at the owner’s expense.

FOOD & FUNDRAISING

In addition to the fine fare offered at our local restaurants and pubs, First Nighters can look forward to hot beverages, soups and baked goods at a number of our performance venues.

Each year, Pro Portsmouth invites a nonprofit to sell food for fundraising purposes at the Connie Bean. This year, our nonprofit partner is the Portsmouth High School band.

Back by popular demand, our friends at South Church will feature a Chili Cook Off and Bake Sale.

Come fight poverty by eating delicious chili and treats. From 5 p.m. 9 p.m. at South Church at 292 State Street, stop by for some delicious food without even breaking your First Night stride. A diverse assortment of chilies and baked goods, warm cider, cornbread, brownies and more will be available. All proceeds will go to support an upcoming service trip headed down to Appalachia to serve people in the second poorest county in the United States.